Showing posts with label Minimal. Show all posts
Multi-tasking
24 June 2008
I'm a total sucker for design that can multi-task... whether its architecture, interiors, furniture or some combination of the lot... This OPtafel table by [in Tussen] is really fantastic. The simple form and clean lines are really appealing... and I love the way it can be treated as a desk, table, or both!
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Rest in Peace
22 June 2008
EM2N's competition design for a moturary hall in Erlenbach, Switzerland is a very simple, yet very nice solution. The simple form provides an area of sanctuary where visitors can focus on their thoughts of loved ones and commune with the outdoors. The way in which the form has been pulled apart, providing slots of light gives it an even more ethereal quality. Instead of providing a place of refuge for saddened family members, EM2N has created a structure that will encourage visitors to reflect in a positive light.
Well done in my opinion...
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Rounded Corners
21 June 2008
Alexander Lotersztain's work (both furniture and interiors) all have a really nice sculptural quality... And all seem to have soft rounded corners... It really makes the materials seem approachable and comfortable. Who would have thought that concrete and coral could look so soft?.
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Hiding Cables
10 June 2008
Its a reality in the modern design world that we have to deal with an ever increasing amount of cables and wires... that is, until they come up with wireless electricity! The big problem with a lot of new technological advances, is that they are changing so fast, that we don't really know exactly what we'll need in the future. For this reason, it can be difficult to plan ahead with wire placement... if you locate all the wiring behind the finishes, you'll have to cut it out if you ever need to change it. But, on the other hand, if you leave them exposed, you've got a big mess. C and I are having this exact problem right now with our remodel. We've got a projector whose cables we'd like to hide... but not knowing if we'll have the projector forever, or if the next version will need the same cables, we're hesitant to put the cables in the wall. British architects Quinn provided a design for digital agency Poke, that celebrates the cables and makes them a central design feature, rather than try and hide them. I kind of like it... I'm not sure if it would work on a smaller scale, but I like the thought.
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Glass Cobblestones
04 June 2008
This modern intervention in an old Geneva square (or actually... a trapezoid) by Swiss firm 2b Architectes is quite beautiful. The design manages to be completely modern, yet still evoke images of the past. Using traditional sandstone, as well as glass blocks or cobblestones in a random pattern, the architects are letting you in on a secret - a lake used to occupy this land. The closer you get to the location of the medieval lake, the closer the glass blocks are spaced. Its a fun design, that actually allows for some interaction and understanding of the context. To top it off, it looks great at night! Now, I just wonder what it looks like during the day....
Via Mimoa
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Prefab Plus
02 June 2008
I really like Swedish design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune's body of work... Every product and piece of architecture they work on has a clear, yet delicate direction... nothing is too heavy handed..
The pre-fab house they designed for Arkitekthus is particularly nice. The simple 'Plus House' manages something that most pre-fab projects don't... it has roots. The proportion of the house is based on a traditional Swedish barn house, and the materials are consistent with both new and old building in the region. Its actually quite hard to imagine this house in any setting other than the one photographed... To me, this is particularly impressive for a pre-fab designs. In my opinion, many pre-fab modern projects are lovely aesthetically, but they seem like they could be plunked down in the middle of a field anywhere. And while I guess that's the point... I miss the locale specific design. This project on the other hand, really seems indigenous to the region, and I really love that about it.
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Studio 80: Shigeru Uchida
27 May 2008
Since we are working on the house, we've got all of my architecture books packed away... I just stumbled across Studio 80's website, and I realized that I actually have one of Shigeru Uchida's books in my collection. All of his work is nice, but the tea houses and furniture are particularly spectacular..
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Angela Fritsch
05 May 2008
Angela Fritsch Architekten has got some really fabulous designs. Something about the colors and lines of the forms is subtly feminine without being overtly female. I've always like projects with a sharp edge quality... of which I think all three of these apply. While there are many projects with more organic qualities that I like and appreciate, I just really love embracing the man-made qualities of architecture, and I think Angela Fritsch does a great job with that..
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For Photography and Architecture Buffs
27 April 2008
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Via Materialicious
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And now I'm off to Hawaii for work... I'll get back to posting once I return later this week...
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Love These Planter
03 April 2008
I really love both of these planters, although they are both out of my price range. Still, perhaps C and I can cast something similar for the backyard/deck area.... but first we'll have to build it!.
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Time for Bed
20 March 2008
I love this Lax platform bed by Mash Studios. It would be perfect in our tiny bedroom, where we don't really have room for side tables.
Via Bloesem
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Like Sculpture
20 February 2008
There was a class at IIT (that I didn't actually take) called visual training... It was very Miesien in methodology, moving single lines on a sheet of paper, locating simple shapes in relation to each other, working with a three dimensional grid, and such. This project by SCT Architecture Studio reminds me of a similar exercise. And I actually love it. L.O.V.E. Love it. The materials are simple and refined and the palette is neutral and serene. All the images are spectacular, but my favorite view is with the church in the background... Because we all know that I'm a sucker for modern and ancient architecture side by side..
Via Arkinetia
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A Bit Useful, A Bit Sculptural
11 February 2008
I tend to prefer wall mounted coat racks, but I quite like this porter designed by Martin Holzapfel. I don't really like a lot of clutter, so its nice to get a sculptural quality from the everyday things you need and use..
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Forget about Dealing with Codes
25 January 2008
Whenever I see an image like this, part of me wishes that I could have a project in an area without codes and restrictions, and part of me wishes we saw more exciting projects that managed to deal with the local codes and restrictions....
Still... you've got to admit, that those are one spectacular run of stairs.
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Via Style Files
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Delicate Exterior, Solid Interior
24 January 2008
I quite like this project... an adminstrative office for the UAX company by Kamil Mrva Architects, this project has a very delicate and crafted exterior skin. Yet, at the same time, the interior experience gives the impression of solidity and heft. Its a very interesting contrast, making this simple box form not simple at all..
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So Where Is It?
22 January 2008
This 'Room for Art in Zumikon' is an interesting project by andreas fuhrimann, gabrielle hächler architects (afgh). Designed to appear as a monolithic carving in stone or concrete, the interior and exterior finishes as well as the structure are a seamless extension of one another. The stopped in glass eliminates the need for any materials other than concrete or glass... While the lighting is quite dramatic, I have to wonder where are the art is? If this is a room for art, then why can't I see any? In fact, the only thing I see other than concrete in glass are light switches, which is an unfortunate focal point in one of the photographs. While these images are quite appealing, like with other projects, I wish that I could see the building occupied. After all, without program, what separates architecture from sculpture?.
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Everybody's got a Bu
18 January 2008
Note: The photos in this post have been deleted as the result of a letter I received from the photographer's public relations representative. While my Spanish isn't perfect, I understood enough of the letter to know that they didn't appreciate me posting the images on 'my commercial website'. I think its arguable whether or not this website is a commercial endeavor, however I must respect the artist's wishes. If you're interested in seeing the photos, please click through to the original website.
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I was initially drawn to this project by Sunday Melendo and Francisco Parron because of the beautiful contrast of light and shadow in these crisp white boxes. Its quite a modern and almost clinical solution for a grandparent's multi-generational home... Where are they going to put all the picture frames? But nonetheless, the contrast between light and dark (and light and lighter) is spectacular.
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I was initially drawn to this project by Sunday Melendo and Francisco Parron because of the beautiful contrast of light and shadow in these crisp white boxes. Its quite a modern and almost clinical solution for a grandparent's multi-generational home... Where are they going to put all the picture frames? But nonetheless, the contrast between light and dark (and light and lighter) is spectacular.
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But I must admit that the photography for this project really gave me a chuckle. It seems like nearly every published project has to place a corbu chaise lounge somewhere in the interior.... and this project has made the bu (as C calls it) the focal point of nearly every photograph! But, the bu really does look good in this project... C and I also have one (he bought it for me as a graduation project), but unfortunately our tiny house just doesn't do it justice. It doesn't have the room to breathe that the chair deserves and needs (and receives in this project). Still, it seems clear to me that the architect didn't direct the photo shoot, or the chair would have taken more of a backseat to the architecture.
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Quite the Remodel
15 January 2008
When I first read about this project, I must have skimmed a bit too quickly because I thought it was a factory, and I couldn't figure out where all of the equipment was located! Upon more careful reading, I realize that this was a significant remodel/refurbishment project for an existing factory, with a new realization as a public arts space in Tomar Portugal. While this makes it much clearer why there is no evidence of industrial equipment, I still wonder where all of the program is located... There are supposed to be lecture halls, an apartment for an artist in residence, administrative spaces, and more linked together on the upper level (check out the image above). The spaces themselves are quite beautiful and the light is very dramatic, but I still wonder where the activity goes? Its hard to imagine actually using this lovely piece of architecture; the pristine and minimal detailing almost seems more reminiscent of an art installation or a piece of furniture, rather than the center of a vibrant art community. I'd love to see some more images once the building is fully occupied..
Still, all criticism aside, the New Build in Tomar (also possibly named the Tomar Environmental Monitoring Offices) by Embaixada Arquitectura is still a spectacular reuse of an existing shell and wonderful interior design.
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Totenkapelle Batschuns
04 December 2007
This new studio by marte.marte offers an interesting contrast to the local vernacular in terms of its form, but the materials and construction are quite consistent with the techniques of the surrounding areas. The simple clean lines of the box are the perfect backdrop for an artists' own projects. But while the interior light is quite dramatic, I wonder if its conducive to artistic endeavors like painting and drawing? I'd be very interested in learning more about the project... so if anyone speaks German and wants to translate the site, please share with us all!.
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